Covid Scotland: Coronavirus infections increasing in Scotland

The proportion of people in Scotland with Covid-19 has increased further after hitting the highest level since last summer at the end of December.

The figures are at their highest since last summer.

Data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) indicates that 219,600 people in private households in Scotland had Covid in the week ending December 31. This equated to 4.17% of the population, up from 4.05% in the week ending December 28 – about one in 25 people.

Levels in the week to December 28 were at the highest since July 16, 2022 when it was one in 20. In England, around one in 25 people were estimated to have Covid-19 in the week ending January 3, while in Wales it was around one in 19.

Michelle Bowen, ONS head of health surveillance dissemination and strategy, said: "Scotland has seen another week of increases, whilst the trend in Northern Ireland is uncertain. Cases have decreased across most English regions and age groups, however infections continue to rise in the over-70s."